Nuclear Medicine research

The Nuclear Medicine department’s objective is to provide a comprehensive and timely clinical nuclear medicine service.

A wide range of clinically relevant studies are available including cardiac, 18F-FDG-positron emission tomography (PET), bone and lung scans. We take a lead role in training of nuclear medicine specialists, radiology registrars and technologists, with our department one of the busiest accredited training sites for nuclear medicine and the busiest accredited training site for nuclear cardiology in Australia.

Our research areas include not only nuclear medicine and PET, but also other specialties via collaboration with various institutions and hospital departments such as Cardiology, Endocrinology, Transplantation Medicine, Psychiatry, Cancer Care and Surgical Units. Nuclear medicine techniques employed span conventional to advanced gamma camera and PET imaging technologies.

Current research

Radiation synovectomy

We conducted a retrospective review of 90 yttrium radiosynovectomy carried out on 167 joints between 2000 and 2010 to assess clinical response and complication rates in patients (n = 119) who had the procedure for either rheumatoid, psoriatic, hemophilic, large joint mono-arthropathy or other miscellaneous arthropathies refractory to conventional therapy.